And then there was one game. And like so many times before, Alabama fights it out for the honor of the SEC. How do we react? Boldly, of course. Because it’s an extra big game, we’re giving you 10 bold predictions for Alabama versus Clemson.

1. Alabama runs for 250 yards

Nobody has stopped the Tide’s ground game all year (Western Kentucky is the only team to hold Bama under 4.2 yards per carry). Clemson, meanwhile, struggled with teams with dual-threat QBs — allowing Louisville to run for 273 yards on 5.0 yards per carry and Florida State to pick up 5.8 yards per carry. The Tide will have their way on the ground, and pencil in 100 yards for Damien Harris.

2. O.J. Howard does it again

It’s been kind of a down year for Alabama tight end O.J. Howard. His single-game high was 77 yards against Mississippi State. He’ll top that number against Clemson, which will sell out its linebackers in an attempt to slow Jalen Hurts, opening up Howard for big plays in the seams. Last year against Clemson, he had five catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

3. Alabama gets a non-offensive score

So this isn’t exceptionally bold, as Bama has 12 non-offensive scores in 14 games. But they’ll get one in game 15 as well. Clemson’s offense can hum, but it comes at the price of increased turnovers (Clemson committed 26 turnovers this year, as opposed to Alabama’s 19). Those turnovers often come in bunches — Alabama turned the ball over three times once all year, but Clemson has done it four times.

4. Deshaun Watson passes for 350 yards

Based off of Alabama’s success in the run game, and Clemson’s need to keep pace, the Tigers will throw early and often. Alabama gave up 350-plus yards passing only twice this year — but Watson is better than Chad Kelly and Austin Allen and put up 405 passing yards against the Tide last year.

5. Alabama holds Clemson under 100 yards rushing

Only twice this year did an opponent rush for 100 yards on Alabama. And Clemson is not especially dedicated to the ground game — it had four games of 3.5 yards per carry or worse. In this game, Clemson also will be playing from behind, so … Bama holds the Tigers to around 50 rushing yards.

6. Clemson’s offense fizzles in the red zone

When Clemson struggles, it does so because it can’t cash in red zone opportunities for touchdowns. Meet the Alabama defense, which is one of the best in the country at keeping opponents out of the end zone (allowed 8 touchdowns in 21 red zone opportunities).

7. Clemson has a special teams gaffe or two

Kicker Greg Huegel isn’t the most consistent out there. He hit 73 percent of his kicks this season, with a long of 47 yards and misses from 27 and 31. Punter Andy Teasdale averaged just 38.0 yards per punt, and the Tigers had no return touchdowns. Bama is better in all three areas, and at least one of them will factor into the outcome.

8. Alabama sets a CFP championship game scoring record

Granted, it’s only game three, but Alabama tops last year’s 45 points for a CFP scoring mark that will stand a little longer! Steve Sarkisian’s offense won’t rack up 500 yards, in part because of special teams and turnovers that will have the Tide scoring on short fields. But they’ll score points — 48 of them.

9. It’ll be Jeremy Pruitt who Saban is yelling at in the fourth quarter 

Alabama will take control of this game by halftime, which will leave Clemson eating up chunks of yardage in the passing game. The Tide will go plus-2 or so on turnovers, which will keep the game safely in hand. But the game in many ways will resemble Bama’s 49-30 win over Arkansas, which seemed to drive Saban crazy, and poor defensive coordinator Pruitt will take Lane Kiffin’s vacated spot in Saban’s doghouse.

10. Bama by 17, and Saban moves on

Alabama wins 48-31 in a game even more lopsided than the score suggests. All is well in Tide nation until shortly after signing day, when Saban admits that he’s accomplished everything he can in college football and signs a deal as the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, after the Cowboys fold like a taco in the NFL playoffs. College and pro football are never the same, and for years, Tide fans look back and wonder how things might have been if Saban had stayed.